GOLDEN, Colo. – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released the 2020 Preseason South Central Regional Poll and Preseason All-Region Teams on Monday where the University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team ranked eighth in the preseason poll with 25 points as senior middle infielders Matt McDermott and Matt Clarke were voted to the NCBWA Preseason All-Region First Team.

The NCBWA Preseason teams and poll were voted on by a committee of 12 voters with six from each conference (Lone Star and RMAC).

The Mountain Lions are coming off their second consecutive season of 28 wins as they finished the 2019 season at 28-24 with a conference record of 20-16, making the conference tournament in all three years of the program's history. UCCS ranked top-10 in the region for some major statistical categories last season such as seventh in team batting average (.318), third in the region and sixth in the nation in doubles per game (2.35), third in fielding percentage (.970), and fifth in the region in home runs (61) and home runs per game (1.17).

Defending RMAC and South Central Regional Champions Colorado Mesa University was voted first in the preseason poll with eight first place votes and 116 points with Angelo State University coming in at second place with four first place votes and 112 points. West Texas A&M is voted number three with 92 points to round out the top-3.

Senior Matt Clarke earns NCBWA Preseason All-Region First Team honors after a stellar first season in the black and gold. Clarke, who led the team in hits and doubles, ranked tied for the seventh most hits in the conference with 76 and was tied for the third most doubles in the conference with 20 last season. The junior transfer set a new program record for most doubles in a season, as he finished with the second highest batting average on the team of .378. Clarke produced 37 RBI and six home runs from the leadoff spot, as he reached base safely in 42 of the 49 games that he played in 2019. At second base, Clarke helped seal up the middle infield with McDermott by recording 114 assists and boasting a .966 fielding percentage.

Fellow senior Matt McDermott had a career year in 2019 as he set career highs in batting average (.384), hits (68), doubles (18), home runs (9), RBI (42), assists (184), and fielding percentage (.968).  His .384 average, 48 runs scored, and 184 assists led the team, as his batting average ranked 9^th in conference and his 18 doubles was tied for the sixth most in the RMAC. McDermott's offensive production matched his defensive production for the 2019 season as he led the conference with 184 assists and fielded his way to RMAC Gold Glove honors at shortstop. McDermott reached base safely in 40 games and had 16 multi-hit games in 2019.

Clarke and McDermott will each move onto the preseason All-America voting which will be announced by the NCBWA later this month.

The Mountain Lions open their season on the road next weekend as they travel to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona for a four-game series starting with game one on Friday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. (MT).